Angelo Rizzoli

Film production

Around 1949, Rizzoli made his first steps as film producer by financing projects of Giuseppe Amato. Their first collaboration was Yvonne of the Night. Rizzoli referred to Fellini as the ‘gran maestro’, however, often jokingly reminding that the director's success happened only due to Rizzoli's putting money into La Dolce Vita. Fellini always responded: ‘And you, my friend, for a pittance bought a hen that lays you golden eggs’.

In 1956, Rizzoli founded Cineriz, including a super successful series about Don Camillo.

Rizzoli also had control of the French company Francinex, with which he co-produced 8½, Madame du Barry, as well as French films such as Une Parisienne (1957),

Through another company, Film Duemila, Rizzoli produced Michelangelo Antonioni’s Red Desert. He also produced De Sica's masterpieces Umberto D., The Two Orphans, Madame Butterfly through Rizzoli Film, and Red Roses through ERA Film.

Other efforts

Angelo Rizzoli was a major benefactor. For all his life, he donated money to the Martinitt, the orphanage where he grew up. In 1951, he founded in Milan the first in Italy professional school of graphic arts, which today bears his name. Rizzoli invested heavily in the island’s development, opened several luxury hotels there and played a key role in the growth of tourism on Ischia.

In 1954, Angelo Rizzoli purchased AC Milan from Umberto Trabattoni. Rizzoli had great ambitions and intended to make Milan one of the leading teams both in Italy and on the international stage. He invested heavily in the team’s development, though the actual president who followed the squad was Andrea. During his presidency, Milan’s golden squad included José Altafini, Schiaffino, Grillo, Liedholm, Maldini, and Buffon. On 22 May 1963, a triumphant victory in the first European Cup final at Wembley Stadium over Eusébio’s Benfica marked a decade of his efforts. At the same time, the Milanello sports centre was opened, considered state-of-the-art at the time. After that, feeling the mission was accomplished, the Rizzoli left the world of football.

Personal life The Rizzoli, from right to left: Angelo Senior, Andrea, Angelo Jr.

At home and by friends, Angelo Rizzoli was nicknamed ‘il Commenda’ (or 'il Cumenda'), as he had an authoritarian character, never showed any tenderness and was a strict patriarchalist. With his wife Anna Marzorati, Angelo Rizzoli had three children: Andrea, Giuseppina and Giuditta (Rita Rinella), who died prematurely at the age of only 12. Close friends knew that Andrea, the principal heir to the Rizzoli empire, had a gentle character and had suffered from an inferiority complex all his life, fearing he would fail to live up to the expectations of his distinguished father. Andrea's first son, Angelo Junior (or Angelone) was the one who took over after Andrea's demise.

Angelo Rizzoli always distanced himself from politics. His only friend among the politicians was Pietro Nenni, also an orphan.

He was famous for his extraordinary luck, he could play in the casinos on three or four tables simultaneously, and often won. However, when losing, he ‘punished’ himself for the vice of gambling by making same size donations to the Martinitt.

Angelo Rizzoli died on 24 September 1970, leaving behind a hundred-billion empire and zero debts, as one of his core business principles was never to take out loans.

The Rizzoli after the death of Angelo After the death of il Commenda, the entire clan of Rizzoli went into rapid decline. Neither Andrea, nor Angelone had inherited Andrea Rizzoli entrepreneur grit. Andrea's decision to purchase Corriere della Sera in 1974 marked the beginning of the end. Andrea bought the newspaper without properly checking its accounts, and the newspaper had long been in financial difficulty, incurring losses of 4 million lire a month. As early as 1975, the balance sheet showed losses of five billion lire, and the following year, twenty billion. In 1974, without giving it much thought, Andrea Rizzoli signed agreements to buy out the other shareholders’ shares with a three-year deferral; by 1977, a debt of 100 billion lire had to be repaid. As confirmed by later court decisions, Andrea, and then Angelo Jr., were tricked and manipulated by the financial director of RCS Bruno Tassan Din, lawyer Umberto Ortolani and several unknown investors who through a series of deals made the family lose control of their stake in the company and accumulate even bigger debts, eventually selling almost all property.

In 1987, aged 23, Isabella Rizzoli, the daughter of Ljuba and Andrea Rizzoli, committed suicide, presumably caused by failed attempts to fight drug addiction.

In 1983, RCS went into receivership and Angelone Rizzoli, along with his brother Alberto and the managing director Bruno Tassan Din, was arrested on charges of bankruptcy. He was released after 21 days in prison and following the seizure of his assets. He was subsequently acquitted. Andrea Rizzoli died of a heart attack a few months after his sons’ arrest.

Alberto Rizzoli, Andrea's son, Angelone's brother and Angelo Rizzoli's grandson, committed suicide aged 74.

Honours In recognition of his entrepreneurial achievements, Rizzoli was awarded various honours: December 1965 – Knight Grand Cross; April 1967 – Count, by the former King of Italy, Umberto di Savoia, in exile in Cascais.

Memory Angelo Rizzoli museum, dedicated to his life and career, is located at Villa Arbusto in Naples.